UNAFF Logo
It’s always nice when two of my passions overlap. This time it’s film festivals and comics.
The United Nations Association Film Festival, taking place mostly in Palo Alto, will be screening “The Comic King of Guatemala” on October 23 at 5 p.m. The short documentary tells the story of a passionate comic loving duo who tackle the challenge of opening the first comic shop in Guatemala. It’s an uphill battle not only due to the high illiteracy rate in the country, but also the lack of distributors willing to send new titles. The film screens with “Strong Enough to Fight,” which exams Kenyan youth leaving behind ethnic prejudices when they enter a boxing club, and “Familia Araya,” which follows a foundation’s efforts to use hip-hop to create positive change for kids who have been abused. The trailer for “The Comic King of Guatemala” is below followed by the festival’s description.
The Comic King of Guatemala – Teaser from Oh My! on Vimeo.
This documentary takes a look at Guatemala’s first ever, comic book shop, offering an insight into its impact on the community. Dan and Sarah are opening a comic book shop in a country with high illiteracy rates. Some think they are crazy, others think they are brave, but the all-important question is: what will the people of Antigua think? Motivated by the thought that comics can get kids reading, since they grew up on comics themselves, Dan and Sarah are on a mission. They see a comic shop and community built around comics as a great way to increase child literacy in Guatemala. They know Guatemalan kids love comic culture; they have the films, the t-shirts, the stickers, but they don’t have the comics. That is, until now. Dan and Sarah’s “one-of-a-kind” shop has recently opened, and it is time to see what impact it is having on the sleepy, historical Guatemalan town of Antigua.
Screens October 23 at 5 p.m.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula
Moldaw-Zaffaroni Clubhouse
2031 Pulgas Avenue
East Palo Alto, CA
Love film festivals? Me too! I recently put together a post collecting information on Bay Area film festivals happening through the end of the year.
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